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Weather warning for ice in West Midlands

Forecasters have warned of the risk of ice for the West Midlands as the cold
snap continues.

A yellow weather warning for ice has been issued by the Met Office as councils prepare for freezing temperatures.

Drivers and commuters in remote areas have been urged to be cautious.

Motorists have been warned road temperatures could be 1C-2C lower than the air figures.

Meteorologist Martin Bowles, from the Met Office, said:

We've got a very showery situation, with some showers coming through overnight and it's quite cold so where you get showers and then the surface gets wet and freezes over, you can get problems with ice on pavements and roads.

– Met Office, Martin Bowles

Thursday is tipped to be the coldest day of the week for large parts of the country.

The colder conditions come as the Local Government Association's (LGA) annual winter readiness survey shows that councils are well prepared for plummeting temperatures with a substantial stock of grit.

Road users are being urged to be prepared Credit: PA

Some 92% of councils have either more salt in stock for this year, or the same level as they did last year, and the LGA said gritters would be out treating thousands of miles of roads whenever overnight temperatures drop below zero in the coming days.

Councillor Martin Tett, the LGA's transport spokesman, said:

Winter is fast approaching and temperatures are already starting to drop - but councils are prepared.

Planning for winter remains a key priority for councils, despite ongoing funding pressures and competing demands on their limited resources. Across the country, local authorities have taken the steps necessary to protect their residents from floods, ice, and wintry conditions.